Meet Kathleen Kathleen Byers is a source of much joy to those who meet her every day in her role as a crossing guard at Queen and Shaw. Through singing and dancing to music, playing from a Bluetooth speaker that she carries, Kathleen brightens everyone’s day. A while back I shared film photos I took of Kathleen but returned in late March to take some more photos of Kathleen in action, using a 35-150 lens I had on loan from @tamronamericas, as well as to do a short interview. Kathleen has been featured by many local media outlets - including @blogto @zoomer_radio and Breakfast Television - for good reason. Her joy but also her wisdom. Here are a few pearls that I gleaned from our conversation: - “My secret is ‘Stay on your feet!’” - “Life is about person-to-person, not all internet.” - “If you have money but don’t have a life, what have you got?” - “We all want the same thing, we need shelter, we need food - we love good food - we love music, dancing and fun. All this stuff as humans, we’re all the same.” I’m so thankful to have met Kathleen. Our world is brighter and better thanks to what she brings. Many thanks also to @photoedmagazine for the opportunity to share about Kathleen, and others I took portraits of using the Tamron lens, in a recent feature about my photography. It can be seen at www.photoed.ca/blog. #kathleenbyers #crossingguard #toronto #cityoftoronto #cityofto #blogto #breakfasttelevision #breakfasttelevisiontoronto #zoomerradio #queenstreetwest #westqueenwest #nikoncanada #nikonz6ii #tamronamericas #tamronlens #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
It’s a big day for NFL fans, and for the city of Detroit. The NFL draft begins today in this beautiful city. I had the pleasure of visiting there with @mypalsammy two weeks ago. The buzz for this day was palpable. Everyone was talking about the NFL Draft. Banners everywhere. Even the statue entitled “The Spirit of Detroit” by artist Marshall Fredericks has a jersey in honour of the occasion! I’ve rarely encountered a city that had such a high level of civic pride. It was visible in so many ways. I have no doubt that will shine brightly to all watching in the coming days. Thank you Detroit for a great visit and may you get the draft picks you’re hoping for! 🤞🏻😊🎉 Images 1-4: The Spirit of Detroit statue Image 5: Banners promoting the NFL Draft Image 6: Joe Louis “The Fist” statue Image 7: Maintenance/Man hole cover with four different names/ways of saying the city of Detroit #nfldraft #nfldraft2024 #detroit #detroitmichigan #detroitpride #detroitcity #spiritofdetroit #visitdetroit #marshallfredericks #IICor317 #detroitlions #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
In August of 2022 my family and I had a wonderful time visiting Newfoundland. One of the most spectacular places on earth that I’ve visited is Gros Morne National Park. There are numerous trails available to hike, each with unique scenery and levels of difficulty. Here are a few images from two of the three hikes that we did in Gros Morne (plus a couple of photos of nearby scenes). I’d gladly go back to try some of the other trails. If you get the chance to visit, be sure to go. Happy Earth Day! Images 1-3: Along the Coastal Trail Image 4: My two boys on top of the hill next to the Lobster Cove Head lighthouse Image 5: A bird rests on a post in Norris Point, NL Images 6-10: Along the Bakers Brook Falls Trail @parks.canada @newfoundlandlabrador #earthday #earthday2024 #GrosMorne #GrosMorneNationalPark #ViaitGrosMorne #newfoundlandandlabrador #ExploreNL #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
Take Me With You What an event. My family and I, and a few friends, enjoyed our time with the throngs of people on the hill at Riverdale Park East. It was truly spectacular to share in the moment with so many. Kudos to Colin Bolton - holding the sign and wearing a tin foil hat - for his playfulness. Well done also, to all my photographer colleagues who did such great work capturing the eclipse, and the human phenomena down here below. We are equally fascinating in our behaviour. #solareclipse #solareclipse2024 #takemewithyou #tinfoilhat #riverdale #riverdalepark #easttoronto #eastendtoronto #cityofto #cityoftoronto #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
There’s recently been some nice buzz in local media (@blogto @narcitycanada @exclaimdotca and more) about @acadia_books and Guillermo del Toro @gdtreal spending time there, along with other great Toronto small businesses. I do love this shop - a “rare and ancient treasure” of Toronto all on its own. (See the text in Acadia’s window in the last image for the reference.) Here are some of my favourite images of this wonderful Toronto book store. May its story never end. P.S. This happens to be my seven hundredth post on Instagram! Feels like some sort of an achievement! Images 6 & 7: @japancamerahunter StreetPan 400 #acadiabookstore #torontobooks #torontobookstores #bookstoresofinstagram #bookstoresoftheworld #readmorebooks #ilovebooks #guillermodeltoro #lovetoronto #cityofto #cityoftoronto #artstoronto #torontoarts #seetorontonow #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
It’s a beautiful day to visit the Winter Stations at Woodbine Beach! Here’s a set of photos from a visit I did in late February, on a day very much like today. Kudos to @eastendartsto @makewaves.to and the many designers and partners who created and made these fantastic structures possible. Thanks also to Tanya and Veronika for posing for photos on the very fun “Bobbin’” by @waterloo_architecture! @northcrestdev @rawdesignto #WinterStations2024 #AKaleidoscopicOdyssey #resonance #nimbus #bobbin #winteraction #wecaughtaufo #WoodbineBeach #beaches #eastendlove #kaleidoscope #torontoart #urbanart #cityoftoronto #cityofto #eastendlove #makewaves #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
A moment of joy at the @winter.stations at Woodbine Beach. Kudos to all involved in creating these, including @eastendartsto and @makewaves.to - and to @branderarchitects who designed this station, entitled A Kaleidoscopic Odyssey. It was a pleasure to connect with @willjaksa and @danimcfad as a result of capturing this moment. Go and see these while you can! #WinterStations2024 #AKaleidoscopicOdyssey #WoodbineBeach #kaleidoscope #cityoftoronto #cityofto #eastendlove #makewaves🌊 #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
Strolling through the charming streets with a camera in hand, capturing the essence of Greece is simply unmatched. Whitewashed walls and pops of blue, this is Athens through my lens! 🏛️📷💙 #CaptureAthens #GreekAdventure #TravelPhotography #CityWanderlust #LensLovers #CultureSnap #StreetsOfAthens #AthensPhotoTour
February vibes mean celebrating #blackhistorymonth✊🏾✊🏽✊🏿 🖤. Here’s to stories, art, and voices that inspire us all year round! Let’s keep learning, sharing, and growing together. #BlackExcellence #EverydayHistory #CultureSnap"
A few thoughts on love. A valentine to you from the streets of Toronto. Please scroll through for a variety of messages about love, beyond just the romantic kind. Take what speaks to you. Share any with friends, as needed. Remember, as one of the messages says, Someone Loves You. #someonelovesyou #valentinesday #valentinesday2024 #streetmessages #streetvalentine #cityoftoronto #cityofto #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
LOVE LOVE LAS VEGAS I recently went to Las Vegas to see @U2 in the @spherevegas. It was an amazing show that I could talk a lot about. Another highlight of my trip though was visiting the Las Vegas Arts District with @mypalsammy. I published a new blog post about our stroll through this wonderful neighbourhood, which is full of unique shops and endless alleys of amazing murals. Click the link in my bio to find my latest blog post - or visit www.culturesnap.ca/blog. Thanks to @dtlvarts for cultivating such a great area to explore! #downtownlasvegas #lasvegasartsdistrict #18b #artsdistrictlv #dtlv #dtlvarts #lasvegas #lovelasvegas #vegasartscene #vivalasvegas #travelphotography #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
Vagabond Soul An image I made on @queenstreetwest following the Field Trip event hosted by @photoedmagazine for educators in May of 2018. I was struck by the look of this motorcyclist and asked if I could take his photo and he nodded in agreement. Wish I had his contacts so I could share it with him! This is one of fifteen images in my latest exhibit, GO WIDE, which is closing soon on October 30th. It’s on display at the Don Mills branch of the @torontolibrary. The exhibit features wide angle views and panoramic perspectives of Toronto - some of my favourite ways of creating and composing an image - created between 2012 and 2023. If you haven’t been yet, please do - and let me know if you do go! (Image titled after a tag on the zipper of his leather jacket.) #vagabondsoul #GoWideTO #photoexhibit #artsTO #torontoarts #cityofTO #cityoftoronto #toronto #queenandspadina #spadina #QueenStreetWest #QueenStreetToronto #lovequeenwest #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
Nuit Blanche 2012 I captured this scene of an absolutely packed Yonge and Dundas during the Nuit Blanche of September 2012. What a memorable evening. This moment capped it off for me. This image is on display now in my GO WIDE exhibit at the Don Mills @torontolibrary. This is the last week to see the show, as it closes on Oct 30th. Drop by and take a friend! Let me know if you go! #nuitblanche #nuitblanchetoronto #nuitblanche2012 #GoWideTO #torontophotoexhibit #toronto #cityoftoronto #cityofTO #streetsoftoronto #yongelove #wideanglelens #wideanglephotography #fisheyelens #fisheyephotography #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
Art is a Gift. Wisdom of the streets. Don’t be too quick and pass art by. Drop by the Danforth East Arts Fair (@deca_arts) at East Lynn Park this weekend to encounter a wide variety of artists and artisans and their creations. Live music, great food and local atmosphere along with a lot of art worth discovering! I’ll be in booth #14. Hope to see you there! #decaf2023 #danfortheastartsfair #artisagift #streetarttoronto #torontostreetart #cityoftoronto #cityofto #torontoartist #torontophotography #torontophotographer #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
美荷樓-Mei Ho HSE MAR ——————————————————————————————————— #meihohouse #shekkipmei #shekkipmeiestate #shooting #shootdiaries #hongkongsnapshots #gosnapshot #hblock #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography #photooftheday #snapoftheday #snapgram #shootgraphy #gardenhill #history #historygram #美荷樓 #嘉頓山 #石硤尾邨 #深水埗 #h型公屋 #歷史 #likesforlike #shareforshare #followforlike
Great balls of colour! Can anyone guess what these are? A hint: I created them at last year’s CNE @letsgototheex. #letsgototheex #bokeh #bokehballs #cne #theex #cityoftoronto #cityofto #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
I'm feeling blue: it's September 1st. The end of Summer, start of Fall and worse Winter is coming. It's all over...the Sun and Heat are fading away and now...it's just a grim death march forward to be suffocated by a cold and relentless winter where there's no light and all hope is extinguished. Well...on the bright side it is a long weekend... 📷 #StreetPhotography by @culturesnap who used Lomochrome Turquoise XR film. . . . #Adorable #MyPalSammy #Dreams #Hopes #Jokes #Comedy #PopCulture #Funny @mysummerlair #jokes😂 #Love #Joy #Zen #goodvibes #vibes_insta😍 #Fun #beautiful #Hope #happy #hopeishere #creative #creativity #instagood #goodtimes😊 #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography #401Richmond
Moments of joy and wonder at the Canadian National Exhibition. So much to do - there’s something for everyone at The EX. @letsgototheex Images from Monday August 21, 2023. ©️Henry VanderSpek #letsgototheex #cne #canadiannationalexhibition #summerintoronto #cityofto #cityoftoronto #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
“They tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds” - Julian Taylor @juliantaylormusic “The truth about love It don’t come all at once It gets easier and harder all the time” - William Prince @williamprince Thanks to these talented artists for their performances last night at the CNE Bandshell. Loved seeing them both. If you don’t know either of them be sure to check them out. Thanks to the CNE @letsgototheex for another solid lineup of Bandshell artists this year. Well done. #juliantaylor #juliantaylorband #williamprince #cne #theex #letsgototheex #cnebandshell #livemusic #livemusictoronto #livemusicphotography #toronto #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
Do the Princes’ Gates have a favourite time of year? I wonder… I definitely have a favourite time of summer and that is when the CNE is on. Today is opening day and yes, I’m excited to join the fun once again! Here’s a photo from a foggy night last November - when this day was a far off twinkling dream. @letsgototheex #letsgototheex #theex #cne #theprincesgates #princesgates #foggynight #foggynights #cityoftoronto #cityofto #toronto #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
“When all else Fails Remember To Love” More wisdom from the street. Don’t forget to love. Image taken during a photo walk with @anythingdaryl. More wisdom from the street. Don’t forget to love. #remembertolove #whenallelsefails #loveTO #lovetoronto #onelove #onelovetoronto #stickerart #spadina #streetsoftoronto #cityoftoronto #cityofto #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
You're lovely, but it's not for sure That I won't ever change And though my love is rare And though my love is true I'm like a bird, I only fly away - I’m Like a Bird by @nellyfurtado The birds of Toronto keep drawing my eye. Great artists like Nelly Furtado keep bringing lyrical joy. Looking forward to hearing her new work with @timbaland. #imlikeabird #nellyfurtado #timbaland #birdsoftoronto #pigeonsofinstagram #birdsofinstagram #likeabird #birdonawire #birdonthewire #barbedwire #wirescrossed #streetsoftoronto #bnw #bnw_demand #bnw_mood #noiretblancphotographie #cityoftoronto #cityofto #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
Happy National #HotDogDay! (Although this is clearly a ham; not a hot dog!) 📷 #StreetPhotography by @culturesnap (he's fresh: follow him!) . . . #Adorable #MyPalSammy #Dreams #Hopes #Jokes #Comedy #PopCulture #Funny @mysummerlair #jokes😂 #Love #Joy #Zen #goodvibes #vibes_insta😍 #Fun #beautiful #Hope #happy #hopeishere #creative #creativity #instagood #goodtimes😊 #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography #hotdog
GO! Where? Not sure. Just Go Go Go! That’s life in the big city. :) Wishing you a happy Friday and a non #gogogo weekend. 😊 #go #letsgo #letsgotoronto #exclamationmark #exclamationpoint #toronto #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
In honour of #WorldBikeDay: Because life moves in cycles and balance is desired but rarely easy. I offer up a prayer to The Angel of Independence on Paseo de la Reforma in downtown Mexico City. 📷by @culturesnap (he's fresh: follow him!) . . . #CDMX #MexicoCity #mexicourbano #mexicocity🇲🇽 #elnuevomundo #streetsofmexico #paseodelareforma #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography #mypalsammy @mysummerlair
Walk On By Tax season can be a bit stressful. Hope you’re through it and feeling at ease. #incometax #walkonby #littleportugal #littleportugaltoronto #toronto #lovetoronto #torontolove #taxseason #taxseason2023 #accountants #torontoaccountant #accountantsofinstagram #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
Now here I am with my hat in my hand Standin’ on the broad highway will you give a ride To a lonesome boy who missed the train last night I went into town for one last round And I gambled my ticket away And the big steel rail won’t carry me home to the one I love - Big Steel Rail, Gordon Lightfoot Thank you for the music Gordon Lightfoot. May the Big Steel Rail carry you home. I grew up listening to Gord’s Gold on vinyl as a kid. Those songs are deep in me now after all these years. No one played Massey Hall more than Gordon Lightfoot, hence why I’m sharing these images today. Photos from Nov 25, 2021, when Gordon Lightfoot played to reopen @masseyhall after its long closure for renovations. I felt compelled to go and take photos of the Massey Hall sign and the atmosphere around the historic venue that night. My daughter joined me and we clowned around a bit posing during the quiet before the crowd let out (I’ll save those photos for another day). I had some fun experimenting with slower shutter speeds to blur faces and reveal motion. Many took selfies in front of the sign and a few wanted to pose for me also. Thank you Gordon Lightfoot. Rest in Peace. #gordonlightfoot #masseyhall #thankyouforthemusic #bigsteelrail #sundown #canadianmusic #canadiansingersongwriter #toronto #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography
A place for all. Like many, I’m concerned about the future of Ontario Place. I’m thankful for @ontarioplace4all as they take leadership in the conversation, which is rightfully very active these days. I have many good memories of Ontario Place from over the years, and am excited for a fresh vision, but hope to see it remain a place of natural beauty that all can enjoy. Image from February 2018. #ontarioplace #ontario #aplaceforall #aplacetostand #ontariocanada #ontarioplaceforall #cycleto #cycletoronto #biketo #biketoronto #toronto #cityofto #cityoftoronto #seetorontonow #culturesnap #culturesnapphotography